Hub and brake assembly



June 3, 1952 w. L. PRINGLE 2,599,013

HUB AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY AT TORN EYS w BY ,JM wvegm June 3; 1952 w. L. PRINGLE 2,599,013

HUB AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 15, 195o 4 sheets-sheet 2 0 JNVENTOR.

W|LL|AM L. PFuNGLE ,JM MYW ATTORNEYS June 3, 1952 w. PRINGLE 2,599,013

HUB AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 15. 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. WLLLJAM L. PmNeLE AT TORNEYS June 3, 1952 w. l.. PRINGLE 2,599,013

HUB AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY INVENTOR.

WILUAM L. PmNGLE ATTORNEYS lriving power is supplied to the wheels from a suitable engine (not shown) through shaft |6, transfer case I8, propeller shafts 20, 22 and 24, and axles which are contained in housings 26, 28, and 30, all of which driving components are operatively connected in accordance with conventional practice. l

Referring now to Figure 2, in which of the outer section of the front 'driving axle and wheel and brake assemblyr are shown on an enlarged scale, 32 indicates a substantially semispherical auxiliary housing which may form an integral extension of axle housing 26 or may be bolted thereto by any suitable means (not shown). y Trunnion pins 34 are welded in place in axially aligned bores in housing 32 and project therefrom into bores in caps 3-6 with a tight rotating t. `Caps 36 are received in axially aligned upper and lower bores in a hollow auxiliary housing 38. The upper cap 36 is secured to housing 38 by studs 40 which project upwardly through cap' 3 6 and through a cover plate 42 which carries a steering link 44. Nuts 46 are provided on studsY 40 to secure the components in assembled relation'.

' 'I'he lower cap 36 is provided with a cover plate 48, the cap and the plate being secured to housing 38 as by cap screws 50. In accordance with conventional practice, the mounting surfaces on' the lower trunnion pin and cap are accurately machined to -provide a suitable thrust bearing I surface therebetween. A

.The space between the housings 3 2 and 38 is sealed by a boot 52 secured in grooves in the respective housings by lock wires as more fully described in United States Patent 2,362,456. The

face 56- on housing 38, which is preferably so inclined with respect to the trunnion axis as to impart a predetermined degree of camber to the spindle, is a flangev 58 of a tubular spindle 60.

y l An interchangeable reversible wheel hub 66 of l the 'invention is here journalled on a pair of spaced anti-friction roller bearings 68 vand 10 having their outer'races pressed tightly into cylindrical internal hub seats 61 and 69.Y The inner race 12 of bearing 68 is considerably thicker than the inner race-14 of bearing 10 to compen-A sate for the difference in `diameters between the This corresponding portions o f the spindle. Y construction makes it possible to utilize the same outer race 16 in each of the bearings, thus allowing seats 61 and 69 on the hub 66 to be of the same size and shape. Seats 61vand 69 are also preferably spaced the same distance from the ends of the hub so as to render the hub reversible as for interchangeable installation on the rear axle;4 as will appear. As illustrated in Figure 2, internal hub flanges 1| Aand 13 are spaced equidistantly Vfrom flat parallelfraces 15 and 11 at opposite ends of thejhubj." Flanges ,1| and-13 provide stop shoulders for properly locating the outer races of the bearings. J'I-Iub'end faces 15 and 11 are perpendicular to the axis of rotation of thehub. Y

The inner bearing race 12 at the outer end of spindle 60 is contracted by adjustable nut 80. A locking member 82 extends into V a keyway 83 in spindle 60, anda locknut :8,4Listhreaded onto the outer end of spindletohold the adjustthe vdetails 4 the spindle and extends outwardly across bearing 10 to seal the bearing from dust and dirt and other extraneous matter.

The hub 66 is driven from the axle shaft by means of a universal joint 86 of conventional design located in the ball portion of housing 32 and a stub shaft 88 upon which is splined a cap 90.- A deformable seal 9|' is held against the end of shaft 88 by a cover plate-92 pressed into a central opening in cap 90 to seal the splines and outer bearing 68. Cap 90 is provided with a piloting flange 94 which snugly fits a cylindrical piloting surface 96 Within the hub, and cap 90 is rigidly secured to the hub as by a plurality of bolts 98 threaded into tapped holes |00.

A plurality of tapped holes |04 exactly matching holes |00 and disposed at the same distance from the hub axis are provided in the opposite end of the hub. Also, an internal pilot surface |06 identical with pilot surface 96 is provided in the inner end of the hub 66 to make the hub fully reversible and interchangeable as will appear. y

Hub 66 is also 'provided withvan annular external bolting flange |08 having at machine annular surfaces |09 and on its opposite sides. Flange |08 is located Yadjacent one end of the hub surrounding bearing seat 61 for the purpose of adapting it for either front or rear axle installations or dual or single 'wheel installation as v will appear more fully hereinafter.

A front Wheel |0 is secured to thehub by a plurality of circumferentially spaced studs ||0 extending through flange |08 to receive nuts |2,`

with the longitudinal vertical centerline of the wheel lying on load line ||4. With reference to the single wheel assemblies of Figures 2 and 4 and the dual wheel assembly of FigureV 3, the'load line |4 lies in a medial plane substantially normal to the axis of rotation of the associated wheel assembly `and represents the theoretical line of concentration of the load carried by the Wheel assembly. When nuts |2 are drawn tight, the wheel is ush with flange surface |09 thus propment. An annular sealing member 85' .of;

inner side of flange |08 by studs ||0 is an annular brake drum adapter member ||6 accurately positioned on hub 66 by means of a cylindrical pilot surfacev ||8. Adapter member ||6 comprises spaced parallel radial portions l5 and |11.Y connected by an axially extending intermediate portion |9. A brake drum |20 has an end ange |2| secured to the outer radial portion ||1 ofthe.

adapter by circumferentially spaced bolts |22 and f nuts |24. The outer surface |26 of intermediate, adapter portion |9 and the radially outer portion.v

||1 of the adapter locate the brake drum |20 with respect to the wheel hub. It is to be notedthat the diameter ofsurface |26 is greater thanf f the outer diameter of hub flange |08 to allow removal of drum |20 Without removal ofqthe...

wheel hub.

A brake foundation plate |28 is secured directly t'oange 58 of spindle 60 as by studs 62 and nuts 64., Piloting surfaces |30 are provided on the flange 58 to accurately position theplate |28 with respect to the other components of the wheel and brake assembly. The Ifoundation plate |268 1s provided with a peripheral ange |32 fittingv loosely intoa-recess |34 in the-inner edge of the brake drum for excluding extraneous material'- inY a Well known manner. The brake mechanism, which may be of any conventional design, comprises an anchor pin`|36 secured in a boss |38 on the foundation plate andv locked against rotti b'ya nut |40.` AL brakeA shoe actuating member |42r is mounted on pin. v|38 and isf actuate'dal fluidi cylinder |44 .mounted on foundation plate |28' iin: a position; diametrically` opposed td 1in |38.- The 'cylinder |44 is provided' with duidconneetions |46 and |48 and aheat resisting. 'shield member" |50 in conventional manner.

Rreferring -n'ow to' Figure 3, which 4illustrates the novel. hub and brake `assembly utilized ony a dill-'al Wheel rear drive assembly', |52 indicates a driven rear axle shaft which is positioned within axle housing' 28.

Housing 28 is provided with seating surfaces |54 and |56 which are of the same diameter and have-they same longitudinal-spacing as the bearing seating surfaces provided on spindle 60 so that the hub may be journalled thereonA in bearings |58 and |60 are identical to bearings sa and 10. Hub 66 is reversed end for end from the positnshown in Figure 2" so as toV disposewheel mounting' flange |08 inwardly-of the longitudinal vertical plane containing load line H4. y The outer `En'ear'ing clam-ping members 'and the. inner bear-ing sealing member are iden-tical to ythe` ele- Ifre'iits '830; 82,` 84,- a-nd 85 described above".

v Hub 66' is 'drivingly connected to axle shaft'` |52 through an integral axle shaft -iiange which is secured tothe hub by cap screws |66. A flat surface on the axle shaft ila-nge 'i'srjd-r'aW-n tight against the flat hub enel surface 11 when the- 'ca'p screws are tightened. Because of l they inversion of the hub, screws,- I-65 are threaded into tapped holes |04.A Inner and outer wheels 2 are drawn tight against flange side surface as by centering nuts |14 and studs |16.

It will be seen from Figure 3 that, in the reversed position of the hub, the wheel mounting surface of the flange |08 is located to dispose the longitudinal vertical central plane of the dual wheel assembly exactly in the plane of load line ||4 which extends through the centerline of the front wheel, thus assuring proper tracking of the front and rear Wheels.

To the inner side of the hub 60, a spacer ring |18 and a brake drum adapter member |80 are secured by bolts |82 which are threaded into the tapped holes |00. Adapter member |80 is generally of the same configuration as adapter member ||6 and comprises two radial portions |19 and I8! connected by an intermediate portion |83, but its proportions are different.

Flange |2| of brake drum |20 is secured to the outer radial portion |8| of adapter |80 as by bolts |22 and nuts |2|| which also secure a dust plate |'9I to the inner side of the adapter. The adapter |80 is provided with a piloting surface |90 which engages the inner periphery of the drum flange |2| to assure accurate centering of the drum with respect to the hub 66. It is to be noted that, as in the construction of Figure 2, the piloting surface |90 is radially spaced from the center of the hub at a greater distance than the outer end of the wheel mounting flange |08 to permit removal of the brake drum Without necessitating removal of the Wheel hub.

A brake foundation plate |92, which is preferably identical to plate |28, is secured in a machined annular recess |93 in a flange |94 extending outwardly from axle housing 28 and carries a brake shoe and brake actuating assembly identical to that previously described in connection with Figure 2.

Figure 4 illustrates the novel hub and brake assembly as installed in a rear single wheel drive assembly. The correspondingly numbered parts are the samefasf- Figure-2 88 isvhoweveitl, in:y a; .position reversed' end-tc end withV izespectsto" that of Figure 8, withl the wheel mounting vflange |108 disposed' axiallyv outwardly? of the wheel cen-.e

terline.

The axle shaft flange |64 vis here drivingl'y secured to' the hub 66 `by cap screws I'Sdtvhich are: received tappedholes |00 .-i-n-i'n'lll''86.` Wheel assembly |912. is secured the outer side surface |09 of flange V|00 by al plurality of studs H0 and tapered nuts H2 in the manner described incorlnection with Fig-mie' 2. It willi he seen that thepcenterl-ine'of the wheel |92 coin cides with loadv line |-fl41to assure-,proper tracking y of the front and rear Wheels.

` The spacer |18, adapter |80', brake-drinn 1120,. foundation plate |92 andthe brake assembly are inthe same assembly as Figure 3. However. because lof the inversion of the hub-r the bolts |82.

i securing the spacer |18 and adapter V|80- .tothe f pensive, rugged wheel hub and :brake assembly which with the addition of one o-f two-available simple adaptersI may be interchangeably used atv all positions in a vehicle regardless of the number of -d-ri-ve axle or the number of wheels installed oneach-axle.

y Further, this interchangeability is, ,eifected while permitting increased operating yand servic-r ing eciency. 'I'he noveldesig-n 'of the hubl 'and brake assembly assures proper tracking of the front and rear wheels and maintains substantially the same wheel Width whether or not dual rear wheels are used. In the case of rear dual rear wheels, the centerline of the rear wheels is maintained in alignment with centerline of the front wheel assembly, while in the case of single rear wheels the centerline of the front and rear wheels are` maintained in substantially exact alignment.

The novel hub and brake assembly also facilitates inspection, repair, and replacement of the brake drum and other components of the brake assembly by permitting the removal of the drum, which is located inwardly of the wheel mounting flange, Without necessitating removal of the wheel hub.

Installation and lreplacement cost are further reduced by virtue of the fact that the novel brake adapter permits the use of the same brake assembly in both the front and rear axles Whether the hub is installed with the wheel mounting flange disposed outwardly, as in the front wheels and in the rear single Wheels, or reversed for rear dual Wheel installation. In each case the adapters locate thebrake drums in proper operating relation with the brake shoes and the actuating assembly.

The invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or assential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle Wheel structure wherein the 7 single wheel assemblies, a spindle, a hub, means for mounting said hub rotatably on said spindle in either of two end-for-end reversed positions. an external radial wheel attachment flange on said hub, a brake drum having both end openings larger than said Wheel attachment flange and a mounting ange surrounding one of said openings, bolting faces on opposite ends of said hub and on said wheel attachment ange, all of said bOlting faces being normal to the axis of rotation of the hub, an annular adapter member secured at its inner periphery to one of said bolting faces, and a ange on the outer periphery of said adapter member secured to the inner side of said drum mounting ange in either position of said hub, whereby upon removal of the wheel assembly from said attachment flange the brake drum may.

bedetached from saidadapter member andmoved outwardly over said wheel attachment flangev without removing the hub.

21A vehicle wheel structure wherein the same hub and the same brake drum may be incorporated in axles having either dual wheel or single wheel assemblies comprising a wheel assembly, a spindle, a hub, axially spaced bearings having outer races of substantially the same diameter for mounting said hub rotatably on said spindle in either of two end-for-end reversed positions, an external radial wheel attachment flange on said hub disposed nearer one end of the hub than the other and means mounting said wheel assembly on said ange locating the loadv line through either single or dual wheel assem- 8 blies to pass radially through said hub in either position and thereby avoid objectionable differences in bearing load in the reversed positions of said hub, a brake drum, bolting faces on opposite ends of said hub and on said wheel attachment ange, all of said bolting faces being normal to the axis of rotation of the hub, and an annular adapter member which in either position of the hub is secured at its inner periphery to one of said bolting faces and at its outer periphery to said drum.

WILLIAM L. PRINGLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,415,356 Jandasel; May 9, 1922 1,606,077 Johnson Nov. 9, 1926 1,937,839 Parrett Dec. 5, 1933 1,985,351 Miller Dec. 25, 1934 2,052,277 Burnett Aug. 25, 1936 2,075,563 Alden Mar. 30, 1937 2,087,684 Alessi-Grimaldi July 20, 1937 2,139,937 Collender Dec. 13, 1938 2,232,584 Aitken Feb. 18, 1941 2,303,599 Ash Dec. 1, 1942 2,311,528 Freer Feb. 16, 1943 2,392,832 Buckendale Jan. 15,1946 2,507,134 Ash May 9, 1950 2,548,107 Horn Apr. 10, 1951 

